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Topical Briefs

Topical Brief: Transition to Adulthood

The transition to adulthood can be a particularly vulnerable time for youth with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and their families. I/DD Research has shown poor outcomes for this population across multiple domains, which suggests the current models of school-based transition planning are not meeting the needs of youth who have disabilities. This is currently what we know:

Topical Brief: What is Family Support?

May 2015

The need for family support, especially for families of individuals with severe disabilities, has been on the rise. With more families being called upon to provide care giving in their homes, an estimated 78% of all individuals with developmental disabilities now live with family members. Policies to promote family support rely on research showing the effectiveness of family support activities; that research rests on a foundation that specifies the operational definition of family support.

Topical Brief: Family Support and Family-Centered Care in the NICU

Having an infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can bring an understandable amount of stress and anxiety on any parent as they begin to adjust to the new emotional, social, and developmental needs of their child. Family-Centered Care is an approach to health care based on the premise that stronger health outcomes can be achieved when a patient’s family plays an active role in providing patient support (Goodwin et al., 2011). The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Institute of Medicine have identified family centered care as a vital component to serving the needs of the child. Our Family Support Network™ of North Carolina looks to aid families in the navigation of this support process, and answers common questions about the basis of Family-Centered Care below.

Topic Brief: Financial Landscape

The costs of caring for children with special needs are high, relative to those for typically developing children. Approximately 12.3 percent of the population of children ages 5 to 17 in the United States has a disability. Because the vast majority of public financial resources for developmental disabilities are devoted to residential services, families receive very limited financial support to care for their child with developmental disabilities. Research has revealed:

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